Benki, founder of the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute, is a leader of the Ashaninka people working for nature conservation and the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights, cultures, and lands.

The Ashaninka, a millennia-old community and ancestors of the Incas, reside in the states of Acre in Brazil and Peru. With a population of approximately 100,000, they are one of South America’s largest indigenous communities that have maintained their autonomy and traditions.

Born in 1974, Benki is the son of an Ashaninka village chief and a Brazilian mother of white descent. He was designated as one of the “pajés” (those who transmit ancestral knowledge) of the Ashaninka and from a young age, he began advocating for the protection of their lands and the Amazon Rainforest.

Benki is a catalyst for change on cultural, environmental, and political levels. As a cultural and environmental activist and a pacifist spiritual leader from the depths of the Amazon, he has been a key figure in unprecedented cultural projects originating from the Amazon Rainforest that extend far beyond the region. His peaceful activism inspires and influences people globally.

The practical results of these projects have been remarkable: the expansion of sustainable environments, reduction in deforestation, decrease in violence, and improvement of social conditions. Benki’s work has earned him global recognition as a tireless advocate for indigenous peoples’ rights and the conservation of their cultures and territories. Among various accolades, in 2004, he received the Brazilian government’s National Human Rights Award, and in 2017, along with his Ashaninka community Apiwtxa, he was honored with the prestigious Equator Prize from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for environmental projects.

Another crucial aspect of Benki’s mission is global awareness. Throughout his years of work, he has become the spokesperson for a generation of Indigenous Peoples concerned about safeguarding the world’s environmental heritage. He travels worldwide, spreading his message, garnering support and allies for nature and human rights defense, forging connections between indigenous peoples and official governments or institutions.